Storm tow TORBAY DEPUTY LAUNCHING AUTHORITY saw the 35ft pilot cutter Leslie H leaving Brixham Harbour at 1145 on Sunday, February 19, 1978. The weather was so bad that he immediately became concerned for her safety and alerted the Coastguard and the lifeboat coxswain, who summoned a crew by telephone to stand by in the boathouse.

The wind was east south east force 9 to 10. It had been blowing from an easterly direction at gale or severe gale force, gusting to storm force, for more than 30 hours. Visibility was poor, with rain, and the tide was in the third hour of flood.

At 1230 a 'mayday' was received from Leslie H saying her steering was jammed, she was drifting southwards 1 '/4 miles east of Berry Head and required the lifeboat. The Coastguard rang the boathouse.

Three minutes later the 54ft Arun lifeboat Edward Bridges (Civil Service No. 37) slipped from her moorings in Brixham Harbour with Coxswain George Dyer in command.

On clearing the breakwater, the seas were such that the lifeboat could averageaverage only 10 knots. Her tall orange superstructure became visible to the casualty long before the dark low profile of Leslie H could be seen from the lifeboat and the captain of the stricken vessel was able to con his rescuers towards himself.

Coxswain George Dyer brought the lifeboat alongside the pilot cutter at 1250 on the first attempt, in 30ft waves with breaking crests, and immediately her two crewmen were safely taken aboard over the lifeboat's port side, the captain preferring to remain and secure a tow line from the lifeboat. The pilot cutter's rudders were jammed hard-a-starboard and her position was now about one mile south east of Berry Head. Fifty-six fathoms of 3'/2Jn nylon tow rope was veered out and a slow tow was begun on a course of north by east to gain an offing around Berry Head.

The tow proved very difficult and erratic, with the casualty's jammed rudders constantly yawing her to starboard so that the lifeboat's throttles had frequently to be put into neutral to reduce the speed of tow.

It was necessary to control the lifeboat from the upper conning position (UCP) on the flying bridge while towing and, after the towing procedure had been established, Coxswain George Dyer handed the wheel to Second Coxswain Keith Bower with Deputy Coxswain Arthur Curnow on his starboard hand to attend to the throttles. Coxswain Dyer returned to the flying bridge two minutes later and stood on its port side, next to the second coxswain, to give a course alteration to north by west at 1302, as the tow was now clear of Berry Head. The intention was to make gradual alterations in a long sweeping arc to port inorder to coax the erratic tow slowly round for a southerly approach course into Brixham Harbour, using the deepest part of the bay in which to turn.

After about eight minutes on this course the lifeboat was approaching the 20 metre line. Apart from the three on the flying bridge, there were two other men on deck. Crew Member John Ashford was immediately aft of the flying bridge standing between the handrails of the walkway leading aft on top of the superstructure, while Crew Member Ron Bradford was on the after deck, to port of the watertight door to the radio cabin (which was shut) and holding the starboard handrail of the ladder leading to the upper walkway and UCP.

Acting Motor Mechanic John Hunkin and Acting Assistant Mechanic Brian Caunter were both inside the radio cabin with the two men already taken off the casualty. All crew members were wearing lifejackets and crash helmets.

At 1310 Coxswain Dyer ordered both engines into neutral as the pilot cutter sheered once more to starboard. The lifeboat lost way and the wind immediately veered her beam-on to the sea. A moment later, a freak wave of 30 to 35 feet with an additional 12 feet breaking to top. suddenly appeared on the starboard beam of the lifeboat.

John Ashford saw it coming, turned to face it and ducked down with his arms locked under the handrail in front of him and his back braced against the handrail behind him.

All crew members say that the wave seemed to push the lifeboat slowly over to port and laterally through the water as it hit and broke on to her beam. The coxswain on the port side of the UCP, just abaft the helmsman's position, glimpsed the radar scanner turning in the water before he himself was completely submerged for two or three seconds.

Second Coxswain Bower, behind the wheel, stood on the port bulkhead of the UCP and was partially in the water. He estimates that the water came within a foot of the centreline of the UCP. Deputy Coxswain Curnow on the starboard side looked down from a braced horizontal position.

Ron Bradford held hard on to the after ladder and met the sea a few inches from his face, while John Ashford found himself floating astern.

In the after cabin, Acting Motor Mechanic Hunkin remained in his seat and Acting Assistant Mechanic Caunter was thrown back against the port bulkhead with one of the survivors landing on top of him.

All agreed that the lifeboat seemed to stay in that position for a few seconds before coming up again. This impression was also confirmed by another crew member, who, having arrived at the boathouse as the lifeboat slipped, had gone to watch the operation from the top of Berry Head. He had in fact seen from this vantage point the approach of the exceptional wave and had just remarked to a companion that it would do some damage to the lifeboat. He then saw the lifeboat's orange superstructure completely disappear and a column of spray rising 90 feet from where she had been. He estimates it was almost five seconds before the lifeboat's orange top reappeared.

The captain of the casualty saw the entire keel of the lifeboat and both her screws.

As the lifeboat righted herself, Coxswain Dyer found that his glasses and one seaboot had been washed away.

He heard the shout of 'man overboard!' and immediately dashed aft, kicking off his other seaboot as he went.

The tow rope had slackened and John Ashford had managed to grab it.

Then it was wrenched from his grasp as the sea snapped it taught again. As soon as it again slackened, the coxswain seized it and flicked it back towards John Ashford, who this time was able to hold on. Then George Dyer, Ron Bradford and Arthur Curnow pulled him alongside and it took their combined strengths to hoist him on board, although he is only an average sized man.

Second Coxswain Bower, meanwhile, had been trying to move the lifeboat astern to assist in recovering John Ashford, but, unrealised by anyone, the mercury cut-out switches for the fuel pumps had been activated and the engines were reduced to idling speed and would not respond to any throttle movements. He shouted to the coxswain on the after deck who immediately opened the after door and informed John Hunkin, who, realising what had happened, went forward into the wheelhouse to operate the re-set switch for the mercury cut-outs on the fuel pumps.

As soon as full operation of the engines was restored Coxswain Dyer decided that the captain of the cutter must be transferred to the lifeboat. The lifeboat was therefore taken astern and the skipper taken off his bow on to the lifeboat's port quarter.

The tow was resumed but shortly afterwards, at 1320, it parted and Coxswain Dyer wisely decided the derelict should be abandoned. She later capsized and sank under the cliffs of Berry Head.

The lifeboat was now able to increase speed to 12 knots and landed the three survivors unharmed at Brixham at 1330. John Ashford was taken to hospital suffering from shock, exposure and strained arm muscles, but was allowed home five hours later.

A consensus of crew and outside observer opinions, combined with a consideration of the parts of the lifeboat's superstructure immersed in the sea on the port side, place the best estimate of the maximum roll at 110 degrees.The pilot cutter had intended to try to take a Channel pilot off a westbound container ship. The pilot was obliged to continue to New York, all other pilot stations being closed.

For this service the bronze medal has been awarded to Coxswain George Dyer and medal service certificates have been presented to Second Coxswain Keith Bower, Deputy Coxswain Arthur Curnow, Acting Motor Mechanic John Hunkin, Acting Assistant Mechanic Brian Caunter and Crew Members Ronald Bradford and John Ashford..